Thomas Gildea Obituary

I knew him as T.J. for 59 years.We were only 14 months apart, having the greatest time growing up. He went away and we kept in touch and loved each other for ever. When we talked it was about our wonderful kids and things we enjoyed with them. I now know, after reading the tributes to T.J., that many people knew an extraordinary man. I always knew he was an exceptional brother, husband and father. It does my heart good to read so many remembrances of my brother. He will live on in so many hearts.

Tom – never to be forgotten. I will cherish the memories of this intelligent, loving, complicated man until I, too, die. In searching his favorite poets’ works, one of his own early poems emerged as a tribute to his spirituality and insight:



Prayer



Does His hand just come in morning

and leave us to face darkness alone?



Does He calm the waters that threaten us or

turn a sigh into a moan ?



The short life is best, in this, the limbo of our souls.

For he who loves the long life, the good life,

will, most certainly, be missing from heaven's rolls.



Enough, enough, I say;

I can't stomach any more.

For my soul to be saved, my body need not be poor.

I cannot bury my talents and I accept the rewards as I accept

the agony and torture that they bring;

To abuse them, channel them or misuse them –

to sit passive and pray to any lord is against my very being.



Man cannot serve God nor Mammon as, indeed,

enslavement cannot serve any man.



Does the smile of death come with the touching of His hand ?

Does the smell of flowers come with his coming or from the soul freed from the man ?



Do not use me, or move me, or think on me.

Take me for what I am, not for what you have made me.



Doesn't using and moving and thinking on make man less a man,

and You,

less a God, my God ?

My heartfelt sympathies to the Gildea family. I worked for Tom at Helene Curtis until 1997. I learned alot from Tom and enjoyed the many projects and challenges we faced. He was always around to inspire and keep you on task. He will be missed by many.

To the Gildea Family,



My hearfelt sympathy for your loss. I had the opportunity and good fortune to work with Tom during my career at Helene Curtis. He was an inspiring leader, and a good man. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Tom. He was a valued colleage at Helene Curtis. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

it has been many years since i had seen T.J. but i have thought of him often.my deepest sympathy to his wife and children in thier time of sorrow.also to raymond,brian and maureen.my prayers are with you.i will light a candle for T.J. at st.marys church. richard(pudge)reilly (cousin)

To the Gildea Family ~ Tom & I were colleagues at the Center for Research in Information Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he served a distinguished term as Chair of our Advisory Board and subsequently as a member. Throughout, we all greatly valued his warm friendship,brilliant insights, and visionary ideas. I will miss him. My best to you. ~ Herb

Tom was a great friend and mentor, and one of the most inspiring leaders I have known. His generosity with his time and talents will be sorely missed by everyone whose path he crossed.

Dear Maureen,

Although our time to know Tom was brief, his energy for life and his love for his family were unmistakably present in the memorial service this morning. Marie and I know you must have wonderful memories of a man who was held in the highest esteem by everyone who knew him. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

My deepest sympathies to the Gildea Family. Tom is a great inspiration to me. As the leader of the Paperhub family he made us all feel valued and a vital part of his vision. He rebuilt my self-confidence at a time when I was not particularly strong. Just this summer I referenced him as one of the most influential people in my life to someone else I have a great deal of respect for. It was my way of passing on Tom's gift to me. Tom was particularly thoughtful of my wife's feelings when I was away in Chicago far from home. He more than once sent flowers or a card thanking her for supporting me in my Paperhub endeavor. I will always remember the great times we had in our Paperhub travels.

Dear Maureen and family,



My wife (Janis) I were extemely saddened to hear Tom had passed away. My association with Tom goes back to the mid-1980s when I hired Tom from Searle's R&D organization to work with me in the U. S. Pharmaceutical buisness. He was a terrific asset to Searle in both his roles. We became close friends during that time shared the many twists and turns in our respective careers over the ensuing 20 years. I will always remember Tom's positive attitude toward life and his seemingly boundless energy. He will be sorely missed by many.

To the Gildea family,

My deepest sympathy for your loss of Tom. He was a "man for all seasons"--a sharp business executive, an excellent information systems(IS) technologist, a creative conceptualizer, and a caring person. I especially will remember Tom for his insights on IS concepts and theories during personal discussions or an IIT class presentation. He was a man of many talents.



Marty Bariff

IIT Stuart Graduate School of Business

I have known Tom for many years as a friend,client,and colleague. He wasbright,honest,and fun to work for and with. I will miss him very much.

tom was a truly nice guy and one of the top computer exeutives in Chicago. He will be missed

I came to know Tom after I came to Chicago a little more than 2 years ago. I enjoyed my many conversations with him and deeply appreciate his contributions to CRIM at UIC. He was a wonderful person. I will miss him. My heartfelt condolences to his family.

I give my most heart felt condolences to Tom's family. I met Tom at G.D.Searle & Co., when he was hired by Ken Falter in the Statistics Department. At the time I was in the Corporate MIS Department. Shortly thereafter Tom became my boss when I joined the Statistics Department. I will always remember Tom for his caring, his passion, for his brilliance, intensity, and sense of humor.

My deepest sympathies to the family for their loss.

Tom was a visionary and leader in the IT industry and was always willing to share his experiences and knowledge with others. His high level of energy and entheusiasm was a great gift and encouraged others to achieve more than they otherwise would have.

Tom will be missed very much by all of us who had the pleasure to know him and work with him.

We will all miss Tom as a person and as a friend.

My sympathy to Tom's family.

I worked for Tom at Helene Curtis, and have many fond memories of that experience. Tom challenged us to "think out of the box" and to take calculated risks. I benefitted greatly from his leadership. He will be missed.

I met Tom several years ago as a consultant supporting his efforts at QDS Partners. We made several trips together and really got to know each other very well. He was devoted to his family, had a passion for his work, enjoyed life, believed strongly in his country, and he loved the Boston Red Sox!



We shared many military stories (Tom- Air Force vs. me - Navy), played some golf, and we always had some interesting debates about the Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees. I will miss him greatly.



My condolences and deepest sympathies to Tom’s family and friends. God Bless you all.

To Tom´s family,



I am so sorry to hear that Tom has passed away. Please accept my deepest sympathy.



I worked in the IT department of Helene Curtis. For a time, my office was close to Tom´s and so we would sometimes talk. He was a wonderful person, so full of energy, funny, and warm. I will miss him.



Sincerely,

Ksenija Majcen

Tom was a wonderful leader, teacher and mentor to me and to many others in the Chicago information systems community.



I will remember him for his genius, for his joie de vivre and for his passion for learning, for growing and for sharing with others.

I only knew Tom for a short period of time but I'm a much richer person for having known him.



He was always upbeat, jovial and very proud of his family. He openly and freely shared his expertise and life experiences to everyone's benefit.



He built and led a wonderful team at Paperhub that pioneered and developed unique technology that was truly ahead of the curve.



My condolence and deepest sympathy to the family of this wonderful man.

I want to extend my most heartfelt sympathy to the Gildea family. Tom was a very bright and energetic man. It was a privelege to know him.

Dear Maureen,Colin, Sinead, Brendan and Aileen,



My deepest sympathies go out to all of you. Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. May God's peace and healing be with you now and in the future.



In Christ's love,

Pam Garofola

I am truly sorry for your loss. I am a consultant who worked for Tom on several projects at G. D. Searle and Helene Curtis in the mid 80's. Over the years I have heard of Tom through a mutual business acquaintance, Clarence Rogers. When I think of Tom, I think back to all those amusing little stories we shared about our Catholic upbringing. He touched many lives and will be missed.

Tom was an inspiration to the many of us who were fortunate enough to work for him at HCI. A wonderful family man, boss and friend - he set an example for us all. We are deeply sorry for the Gildea family's loss. Glenn and Kathleen Zamorski

I haven't seen TJ Gildea since high school, but there was a time, especially in seventh and eighth grade, when we spent hours and hours together, talking about everything and nothing. He is locked into my daydreams forever as this bright, sweet, absolutlely funny kid. My condolences to his family.

Tom was an energetic, inspired person with whom I enjoyed working. I send my deepest sympathy to his family.

Dear Maureen, Colin, Sinead, Brendan and Aileen:



Our deepest sympathy to all of you. May God's grace shine on your family. Our prayers are with you.



Sincerely,



The Mussatti Family

Our deepest sympathy goes out to the entire Gildea family from



The Jenni family, Jay, Karen, Erica & Erin

My deepest sympathies to Tom's family and loved ones. His was a powerful force, directed toward his beloved children especially. But his large heart had room for so many more; he will be missed terribly, and remembered long. Solace may come from knowing he is now beyond suffering. I am thankful for having known him, and I'm sure he will receive many prayers from those he has known throughout his life.